The Mythology of Stress (cont.)
There are some myths about stress that hide the real inner work that has to be done:
Myth ΙΙ:
"Small quantities of stress have been proved beneficial because they boost our creativity "
Truth: At present stress (fear of failure) and other emotions have coloured the soul to such an extent that we have forgotten how it is to feel our natural feelings. While intoxication or alertness by chemical means are in fact desensitization (alcohol, nicotine, drugs) and toxic shock (caffeine), they have entered our culture as bliss and refreshment in the same way that fear and worry have become motivation for creativity and interrest.
}It is a illusion that stress, or
putting pressure on people, is necessary to get things done. Why?
Because when fear (emotional pain) is invoked and used
as a motivator, it always results in a drainage of emotional and spiritual
energy, which eventually can lead to physical disease.
Thought:
The bridge between soul and its body
Stressful
thinking is fearful and angry thinking, if sustained, leads to procrastination, poor performance and the breakdown of
relationships. The psychosomatic effects are well known. Tense thoughts lead to
tight muscles and headaches, worried thoughts upset the digestion and can
eventually result in ulcers, fearful thinking speeds up and wears down the
heart, inducing the over-production of adrenaline, while anger has been
identified as one of the major contributory factors in cancer.
Stress
and fear, and therefore adrenaline, may appear to get things done fast and
efficiently in the short term - but in the long term it all leads to burnout
and addiction to the sensation of stress (ie: taking work with me on holiday
and phoning the office every day). This is why there is no such thing as
positive stress. Thus 'creative' and 'stress' are contradictory terms...
although they seem appropiate in times like these.
}Those who advocate that stress is necessary to
reach peak performance are demonstrating lazy thinking, or the avoidance of
doing the inner work of self-metamorphosis.
Exercising the remembrance of my natural feelings
Meditation is the exercise of remembring my original and
eternal feelings: peace,
love, purity, happiness, awareness – we are made of these qualities... this is not something I do
only when I sit for meditation but also during the day I make time at frequent
intervals to remind myself of my original nature through soul conscious
thoughts: my every day thoughts, conversations and actions form the level of my
consciousness... is it possible to develop a new habit by not incorporating
it into my daily routine?
Gradually I become used to emerging my original feelings
from inside out -with no external triggering- and this becomes a part of
my being in a natural way...this is remembrance
Without closing my eyes or stepping out of my life, I
begin to observe the things and he people around me while being focused
within... for a short time I absorb myself in the thought that " I'm a peaceful soul... I'm
peace... a being of light... a luminous tiny star that radiates energy behind
and through my physical eyes... nobody can see me as I really am with their
physical eyes... I'm an invisible being but I understand and I feel that I
exist... This realisation of my existence is one my subtle senses that I'm now
emerging more and more each time... I ask my self how is it to be at peace?...
how does it feel to be loved deeply? ... what is it like to feel content? ...
how is to tune into happiness or purity? how is it to be aware of my natural
state of being?"
One second, one thought... softly and clearly... I think about and feel my natural qualities, one by one...
